Cover: Dramatic illustration of the key figures behind ‘Rise and Fall of
the Boleyns’, six other smaller images (including no less than Adolf Hitler
and Genghis Khan) and eight coverlines.

Content: Generously illustrated contents spread with clearly denoted page
numbers leads into ‘Defining moments’, three double-page picture spreads
from recent history. Twelve pages on the Mongol Empire is a beautifully
crafted history lesson and the Boleyns cover story uses contemporary art to
help bring the notorious figures to life. Hitler, Peterloo, Chernobyl, NASA
all get the approachable treatment plus reviews at the back.

Digital: Promoted website has content galore, plus equally generous
‘personalised’ advertising. Click through to Twitter with 13.7k followers
and Facebook (11,814 likes) which have interesting content, such as
competitions, rather than just plugs for the mag.

What they say: “And now for the soppy bit, because the best thing about the
mag was the people I got to work with who inspired me and made me want to
make a better mag that they could be proud of too. I hope we did that.” –
editor Jonathan Gordon on Twitter choking up on departure from his previous
berth as editor of videogame mag, games™.

Verdict: For readers of a certain age, this magazine will be reminiscent of
Look and Learn, the weekly educational magazine published from 1962 until
1982. It is clearly written, well illustrated and inviting on every page.
And even has a historical recipe – Marlborough pie, as eaten in the court
of Henry VIII!

Cover: Napoleon and Nelson stare ignominiously at each other across the
coverline ‘Trafalgar – a futile victory?’. Six more informative coverlines
and another depiction, this one of Charlemagne, who was doing his stuff in
the eighth century.

Content: A welcome page and enlightening ‘More from us’, which even
includes a QR code for more details, is followed by the well-illustrated
contents spread. Newsy snippets up front include a topical piece on
choosing a political party leader before columns from TV favourites Michael
Wood and David Olusoga. Features cover the ages and the world including a
poignant piece on mixed race babies fathered by black American GIs and more
topical reflections on the moon landing and space race.

Digital: The promoted website – historyextra.com – has a decent range of
content and podcasts to download. Links to Twitter (318k followers) and
Facebook with a whopping 549k likes, plus Instagram. Digital editions of
the magazine well promoted throughout, rewarded with 16 per cent of total
sale.

What they say: “The most important thing for PhD students would be to show
a real passion for media / journalism, backed-up by some relevant
experience.” – editor Rob Attar has some advice for the over-qualified
entrants to journalism in an interview with the ‘Pubs and Publications’
blog.

Verdict: The clear leader in this field has built up a worldwide following
with a comprehensive approach to history in the widest possible sense.
Plenty to dip into as well as longer reads make this a trusty companion
through the ages. Confidently produced with inventive use of
well-researched illustrations from the pre-photography days.

Cover: Image taken from a poster from the 1960 film Man in the Moon,
promoting a Kenneth More retrospective, three other small pictures and
eight coverlines all held together by the bold masthead that sits atop the
Union flag.

Content: Detailed contents spread on pages 4-5 goes from Postbag (p6) to
Back in Time (p82) via no less than 29 separately listed items. They are
all quick reads with no article running to more than three pages but the
inviting design and clever use of now-and-then photos keep the reader’s
attention. References to TV and popular culture (Sally James, Top of the
Pops) contrast the oldest recollections from the 1940s.

Digital: The promoted website has details of the current issue plus
‘Classic articles’ and a useful events guide. The Twitter feed is on the
home page with nearly 5,000 followers and Facebook has 1,294 likes. Even
has a link to old school Myspace.

What they say: "With the exception of re-runs of The Bill and Heartbeat,
the police procedural is largely absent from today’s television schedules."
Editor Simon Stabler turns TV critic for recent 'cop watching' cover story.

Verdict: Feels cosy and comfortable with lots of familiar names. Plenty to
read and the eight pages of ‘Yesterday Remembered’ contributions from
readers is a welcome addition, as is the £20 paid for submissions. Majoring
on the twin themes of ‘nostalgia’ and ‘British’, this quirky title has
clearly filled a gap in the market.

History Scotland

What’s it about: ‘Expert insight in every issue’ – a historical-looking
seal on the cover.

Cover: Full bleed picture of a painting of a man in full Scottish regalia
to go with the coverline ‘Selling Scotland’. Seven other coverlines all
artfully arranged around Colonel William Gordon of Fyvie (Battoni, 1766).

Content: Meet the contributors and ‘From the editor’ on page three before
straightforward contents on page five. After news, the longer reads come
thick and fast from Neolithic pioneers to a convicted pirate via an
earthquake and a statistics-packed exploration of emigration. All well
displayed with innovative picture research using photographs, art and
illustrations plus useful links to further reading.

Digital: A likeable website has tons of related content with links to
Twitter (10.2k followers) Facebook (42.1k likes) which also encourages
users to become an ‘Insider’ and ‘receive sneak peaks, job opportunities
and more, straight to your inbox’ just for signing up to the newsletter.

What they say: “She [Rachel] is a history graduate of University of Wales,
Lampeter, where she studied medieval monasticism, a continuing passion she
is slightly amazed to be able to apply in the world of work.” – editor
Rachel Bellerby comes clean about her historical credentials in a blog
post.

Verdict: With no shortage of history, it’s not surprising to see Scotland
have its own dedicated magazine, but it is still a delight to see what a
great job they make of it. All the content deserves its place and the
publishers are to be commended for combining the rigour of its academic
focus with the attractiveness of a general interest magazine.

History Today

What’s it about: “The world’s leading serious history magazine” – claim on
website.

Cover: Big picture of a medal commemorating the Peterloo Massacre artfully
obscuring part of the masthead, three coverlines plus content reminders on
the spine.

Content: Contents on page three divided into Features, which are six long
reads, and Regulars including letters, reviews, a crossword and ‘The
Historian’s Cookbook’ which gets all reflective about barbecue. The
features, which are all written by academics, stretch from an exploration
of slaves in the ninth century Muslim world to the background of modern-day
tensions in the Persian Gulf via that cover story about the Peterloo
Massacre 200 years ago. All intelligently illustrated with relevant
photographs, art and documents. Lay readers will also appreciate the
‘Glossary’ looking at the origins of words and phrases used in the
magazine.

Digital: A website as clear and informative as the magazine has much the
same content, plus extensive archive and back issues with opportunities to
buy online access to the archive. A lively Twitter feed is rewarded with
288k followers while a whopping 763k like the Facebook page. Also an
opportunity to sign up for the ‘Travels through Time’ podcast.

What they say: “Few children’s programmes have captured the sheer
strangeness of the past as well as Noggin the Nog” – editor Paul Lay
recalls his first ‘engagement with public history’ in a piece for the
magazine.

Verdict: Has the rigour of an academic journal but the display of a
newsstand magazine with generous illustrations and a liberal supply of
advertising. Lots of meaty reads well researched by the suitably informed
authors (‘Professor of Indigenous History’) but all presented in an
approachable and non-stuffy way. The offer to ‘Get 6 issues for just £12’
is a steal compared to the single copy price.

Military History Matters

What’s it about: ‘The history of conflict, written by experts’ – according
to the magazine’s Instagram page.

Cover: Dramatic picture of a (dead) soldier on a bridge at Arnhem in 1944.
Four coverlines and a careful cut-out of a 17th century flintlock pistol.
Five more cross-refs somehow shoehorned onto the slim spine.

Content: A busy, but simply designed, welcome page leads into the contents
spread clearly signposting the offerings inside with pictures, numbers and
colour coding. News, in the shape of ‘Notes from the frontline’, is
followed by a series of lavishly illustrated features covering the invasion
of Canada in 1775 to the Arnhem assault and much in between. ‘Debrief’ has
reviews and visits while there’s even room for letters, quiz and crossword
at the back.

Digital: Follow the url on the folio lines to find a neatly-designed
website with the latest issue heavily teased. Social media buttons clearly
displayed offering easy access to Twitter, with 4,557 followers, and
Facebook with nearly 3,000 likes.

What they say: “The person who answers the phone to your query is likely to
have a degree in history or archaeology, allowing us to engage with our
highly loyal readers in an informed way” – no messing with those
phone-answerers, according to publisher’s website.

Verdict: Complementary full-page ads (MA in military history by distance
learning, anyone?) demonstrate the value and reach of this agreeable
magazine. Authoritative without being stuffy and on top of its subject with
detailed writing and graphics. All neatly designed and projected, although
some readers may find the splodges of blood on the Arnhem feature a bit
OTT.

This article was first published in InPublishing magazine. If you would
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